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WORDS JACKIE MEYERS : IMAGES CORINNE DANY Insidestory He was in the middle of his final year at school when he was invited to become part of the Sydney-based Green Valley Youth Choir. Jordan graciously accepted the offer and joined the group on Anniversary world tour. its 40th One of the talented teenager’s own songs, Everything, became part of the choir’s repertoire. The song, which Jordan describes as being an expressive musical piece about life in general, was also snapped up by leading international Christian music publisher Kingsway Music based in London. Inspired by his overseas experience, Jordan returned to his Mittagong home intent on recording an album of self-penned songs. His first aim was to complete his Higher School Certificate, but his focus was otherwise firmly set on recording and releasing his first album. “I have been fortunate to be given incredible support from some legendary people in the music industry including former EMI sound engineer and music veteran Guy Saminaden and the 2009 Australian Musician of the Year, Michel Rose,” Jordan said. “The album is currently being mastered at Sony Records.” Jordan has long been a performer, learning the piano by ear under the guidance of his nanna from the age of four. He gained his first experience on stage when he was 10 and played the role of one of the Von Trapp children in the Highlands Theatre Group production of The Sound of Music. The all-rounder has since been a part of several stage productions by the theatre group and Southern Highlands Youth Arts Council (SHYAC). However he concedes his first love is writing and performing music. Jordan said he had spent several years writing for his debut album. He said he found much of his inspiration for songs while doing outreach work with indigenous children in parts of Australia “A lot of my songs are about my faith in God, but they are not about forcing my faith on others - my music is for everyone”. He managed to achieve a mark in the HSC that will qualify him to study teaching at Wollongong University in the future. But in the meantime Jordan is about to make a long-time dream become a reality with the release of his debut album, Decided, on August 29. It is the result of many months hard work by the dedicated teenager who has been working seven days on several jobs including mowing lawns, teacher’s aid at the Highlands Christian School and casual waiting, to raise the money needed to produce the album. including Northern Territory, Cape York and the far west and midnorth of NSW. “I’ve been involved in various outreach projects with both Christian and community groups since 2006,” he said. “It was about that time that I also began to write music and lyrics. “I’m a big journal writer and my songs are an extension of that. “A lot of my songs are about my faith in God, but they are not about forcing my faith on others - my music is for everyone. “There are a lot of mainstream musicians out there that come from a Christian base such as The Fray, Creed and Brooke Fraser. > snapshot magazine:snapshot.realviewtechnologies.com 15